Notes from an Alaskan mom reinventing home economics one day at a time!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Product Review: Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner

I'm having a really good Customer Service week. We've just had a lot of having to contact this or that company for various reasons, and it feels like the people we've gotten have been highly communicative and responsive. This ties into the blog title because yesterday I got a call from the SC Johnson Company.

I bought the original model Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner a couple of years ago and I just loved it. Push a button, walk away, and no more tub scrubbing. The thing really works as advertised. Unfortunately my original one died, although it took a couple years before it wore out.

I didn't replace it right away because money was extra tight, and honestly it's not the best idea if you're really broke; it's much cheaper to get a bottle of all-purpose cleaner and a spray bottle to dilute it into. By the time I could afford it again they'd upgraded the device, adding a second sprayer for more coverage.

My experience with the new model has been very disappointing. The first one used a ridiculous amount of the cleaning fluid, ate batteries at an astounding rate, and died after about six weeks. I figured I got a bad one and went to replace it because I really wanted that convenience again.

This one didn't work right out of the box. I'd thrown the box away so I went looking for somewhere to complain. Here's where SC Johnson Company starts getting points: it wasn't at all hard to find contact info. It took three clicks and I found it on the Scrubbing Bubbles website. I got an email back saying that their customer service people usually respond within 24 hours.

10:30 the next morning the phone rings: the Caller ID says SC Johnson. So does the person on the phone! No email correspondence, no song-and-dance, a real person (who spoke good English) called me personally and wanted to make me happy. She offered to refund the purchase price or replace the unit. I loved the original, so I opted to replace. She's mailing me a full price coupon for a new Shower Cleaner and an extra coupon for a refill. She also suggested a couple of things to try if this one doesn't want to work right away (apparently if they've been unused for some time it can take up to a half-dozen button-pushing to get the unit going again).

Final Review: Well, it can't really be a final review because I haven't a unit that works yet. But SC Johnson gets full points plus extra credit for customer service! I really hope this unit works, because I sincerely love this product. If you can afford to buy the refills every 20 days or so, I really recommend you give it a try (they publish coupons for them frequently, just keep your eye out for them). And if your unit doesn't work? Don't be afraid to speak up!

Response to Comments: In response to some comments on my Facebook page: My cat, who eschews his water bowl for fresh shower drippings, has never suffered any ill effects from the cleaning fluid. Furthermore, my son has incredibly sensitive skin and eczema. He can't use regular soap or bubble bath, but this fluid on the tub doesn't bother his skin at all. He had an outbreak once and it was the first thing we cut out. It turned out to be new laundry detergent.